


Never Ask You to Change

by SEMellark



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Makoto is just the world's best husband, Rin may be ignorant sometimes but he means well i promise, asexual Haru, even if he and Haru aren't married in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-05 00:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3098951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SEMellark/pseuds/SEMellark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin doesn’t really mean anything by it. He’s not the only one Makoto has encountered who struggles to grasp the possibility of a committed, non-sexual relationship, and he certainly won’t be the last.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Ask You to Change

**Author's Note:**

> Because I'm tired of hearing people say that it isn't a real relationship if you don't have sex.

“Okay, so, let me get this straight. You and Haru don’t have sex.”

“Nope.”

“Like… _ever_?”

“Never.”

“What the fuck?”

Makoto laughs before he can help himself. Even over the phone, he can almost see Rin’s wide-eyed look of genuine confusion, and it’s endearing enough that he doesn’t feel indignant at all.

Rin doesn’t really mean anything by it. He’s not the only one Makoto has encountered who struggles to grasp the possibility of a committed, non-sexual relationship, and he certainly won’t be the last.

“It’s not like I’ve never thought about it.” Makoto says thoughtfully, stirring his coffee idly with a spoon. It’s the only clean one they have, but the end is still somewhat sticky. Their dishwasher’s performance quality has always been less than par, but he and Haru are usually too busy to hand-wash the dishes most of the time. “But you know how Haru is. He doesn’t like intimacy.”

“But you’re _you._ ” Rin says incredulously. “You two have been a thing since the dawn of time. Isn’t there like an exception for that sort of thing?”

“I don’t think you understand how asexuality works. There isn’t an on or off switch.” Makoto sighs, trying and failing to suppress a twinge of exasperation. “Why are you so surprised? Haru told you, Nagisa, and Rei about this back in high school.”

Rin huffs on his end of the line, indignant and embarrassed and still a bit flabbergasted. “Well, _yeah,_ but until Nagisa told me you guys don’t have sex _at all_ I didn’t even realize what it _meant,_ you know?”

Makoto does know, because he was in the same boat, once. That was years ago, however, before high school, back in junior high when all the other boys were starting to talk about girls and sex and Haru just _wasn’t._ He showed absolutely no interest whatsoever, and he and Makoto used to talk about it extensively back when things were new and slightly terrifying.

“Just hearing about it makes me uncomfortable.” Haru had said once. And from the expression on his face when he said it alone, Makoto had believed him. “I mean, if you want to talk about it with me, I’ll listen, but – “

“No!” Makoto had exclaimed, appalled at the mere idea. “If it makes you feel bad, then I’ll never bring it up again. I was just wondering, is all. It’s fine, Haru, really.”

Growing up, Makoto had to learn to deal with his own urges as well as his best friend’s lack thereof, but things were never weird between them. The only thing Makoto can recall as being slightly difficult to handle was realizing that he had a definite thing for Haru while still being under the assumption that Haru would never want him like that.

“He can be in a relationship.” Makoto says to Rin, repeating the words Haru said to him after they graduated high school. “Just not a sexual one. And that’s not to say that everyone who is asexual _can’t_ be in a sexual relationship, because – “

“Okay, alright, I didn’t ask for a lecture.” Rin exclaims, and Makoto laughs again, because really, who would’ve thought that his day would start out like this? At least with Nagisa, Rei was able to explain it to him on a level Makoto couldn’t. In Rin’s case, Makoto doubts his friend’s significant other would help much. Sousuke has never been the most understanding person when it comes to Haru. “I was just curious. Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m not.” Makoto insists, wondering if maybe he should start to drink his coffee before it gets too cold. But he’s somewhat lost his appetite for it, among other things. He really isn’t upset with Rin, but he is a little tired. “I’m just making sure you understand, is all. Better me than Haru.”

“If you tell him I said any of this… “ Rin trails off, never unveiling his half-hearted threat, and Makoto pulls a face, because he was under the impression that everyone understood that he and Haru tell one another everything.

He opts to stay silent, isn’t in the habit of making promises he can’t keep, and Rin sighs to himself. “Well, I guess I’ll let you go. I think I’ve bothered you enough for one day.”

“It’s always nice to hear from you.” Makoto says sincerely. “But next time, call at a decent hour, okay?”

“Pfft, yeah, whatever. See ya, Makoto.”

The green-eyed man hangs up the phone feeling more tired than he was when he picked it up, but at least he was able to set the record straight about a few things. He doesn’t quite understand why Rin needed an answer to his question so badly, but he’ll let his friend have his peculiarities.

In his own way, Rin was just expressing concern. Makoto can hardly fault him for that.

Makoto hears the creak of their bedroom door opening, and he knows Haru is finally awake. Usually Haru is gone when Makoto wakes up, off jogging or swimming laps at the gym, so even if Makoto didn’t get as much sleep as he’d wanted, he’s glad they have at least an hour together before Haru has to leave.

“Morning.” Makoto says when Haru steps into the kitchen, and his boyfriend grunts in reply. “There’s coffee if you want it.”

“I could smell it.” Haru says, voice still thick and raspy from sleep. His dark hair is messy in a way that it only is in the morning, and Makoto smiles slightly to himself, already in a much better mood. “Who were you talking to?”

“Did I wake you up?” Makoto asks, swiping his thumb over the screen of his cellphone as Haru shrugs in response, reaching up into the cabinets for a mug. “Rin called.”

“What was he bitching about this time?” Haru grumbles, filling his cup to his satisfaction before sitting down at the table across from Makoto. Makoto in turn offers Haru his spoon, which the other man takes without question. “Did he forget his anniversary again?”

Makoto laughs through his nose, shaking his head. “I think once was enough for him. No, he was asking why we never have sex.” Haru stills, mouth hidden by his cup, and Makoto inwardly winces. “And by ‘we,’ I meant you and me, Haru.”

“I know what you meant.” Haru says tersely, lowering his arms back down to the table. The frown on his face is troubled, and Makoto regrets saying anything this early. “Why is that any of his business?”

Having wondered the same thing, Makoto shrugs when he says, “Beats me. I guess Nagisa must have told him.”

“Can’t trust anybody with anything.” Haru sighs, and his sapphire eyes are unusually dark as they stare in the general area of Makoto’s hands, one covering the other atop the table. “What did you tell him?”

“The truth. Well, a watered down version of it. You know how he is, I didn’t have a prayer of holding his attention for long.”

Haru doesn’t say anything, and the two of them lapse into silence. It’s not necessarily uncomfortable – they’ve known one another too long for that – but Makoto can tell that there is something Haru wants to say. Rather than try to coax it out of him, he simply waits, gazing down at his cold coffee.

“Do you – “ And there it is. “Do you wish things were different?”

“You mean us?” Makoto inquires. Haru doesn’t even blink. “No, I don’t.”

“But I’m not – You aren’t – “ Haru cuts himself off with an exasperated sigh, reaching up to run a hand through his already unruly hair. “We’re different, Makoto.”

“Not in the important ways.” Makoto says softly, and the hand Haru has wrapped around his cup tenses the slightest bit. “I don’t care if we don’t have sex. I may not be as put off by the idea as you are, but I don’t _need_ it to be happy.”

Haru doesn’t seem convinced, and Makoto stifles a sigh, because really, he thought they were past this. But it just goes to show that Haru really is sensitive about this if a single phone call from Rin can make him doubt again.

“I like that we share the same space.” Makoto says, and Haru blinks over at him owlishly. “I like that you know everything about me and I know everything about you. I like that we sleep in the same bed and you hold my hand when we go out so we don’t get separated.”

He turns his hands over, fingers splayed and palms facing the ceiling, and Haru tracks his movement with eyes. While he’s still frowning, his eyes don’t look nearly as troubled as before.

“We’ve always been like this, even before you told me you loved me.” Makoto continues, and the happiness he feels when Haru gingerly reaches out to place his hand in one of Makoto’s own is unfathomable, and he curls his fingers around Haru’s smaller hand in the tiniest expression of that. “I think we’re perfect. Why should any of that change?”

“I’m not saying it has to.” Haru says at length, and when the curve of his mouth shifts into something more petulant, Makoto knows everything is okay. “There are just – We have _options – “_

“Don’t force yourself to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.” Makoto says sternly, effectively silencing Haru. “That’s the last thing I want. And if you ever did, just know that you would be pleasing society, not me.”

Another silence falls over them, but after a time, Haru pulls his hand away and stands up so abruptly his chair scrapes loudly against the floor. For a moment, Makoto is concerned that he said the wrong thing and upset Haru somehow, but his fear proves to be unwarranted when Haru only circles around the table to stand beside him.

Makoto stares up at him curiously, but Haru barely wastes another moment before he’s bending over, wrapping his arms around Makoto’s shoulders and pressing his forehead to the back of Makoto’s neck.

“Thank you.” He murmurs, voice somehow thicker than it was when he first walked into the kitchen, and the force of Makoto’s smile almost hurts him as he twists in his chair to return the desperate embrace.

“You should know by now, Haru. There’s no need to thank me for loving you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I am absolute makoharu garbage, someone please stop me


End file.
